Nederland - Hoog Soeren, Aardhuis(park)

Het Aardhuis was commissioned by King Willem III and designed by court architect Henri Camp in 1861. Originally, the chalet-like building was mainly used as a military meeting centre and as a place to rest after a hunt. Prince Hendrik also liked to stay in Het Aardhuis which he used while hunting. That is why it is mainly known as a hunting chalet.

In 1972, Queen Juliana decided to give the impressive black wooden building a different purpose. From a hunting chalet, it became an information centre about nature and wildlife. Today, the ground floor of Het Aardhuis houses a café. On the first floor, one of the rooms is still furnished as it was in the days of King Willem III and Prince Hendrik. Another larger room serves as an information centre for Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate).

Het Aardhuis is located in the Aardhuispark; a fenced-off part of Kroondomein Het Loo. The park offers a mixture of open landscape with a wildlife meadow, lanes with old beech and oak trees and water pools. A three-kilometre walking route has been marked out in the park. This route also leads to a hideout for (semi)wildlife spotting.